I've been posting on my lifestyle blog about some places we toured last fall that are steeped in Indian history. And that got me thinking about author Phyllis Cole-Dai. She has authored or edited eleven books in multiple genres, including historical fiction, memoir, and poetry

I received Beneath the Same Stars a while back from Phyllis Cole-Dai.

The 1862 Dakota War is a period I do not know much about. Beneath the same Stars is an engaging and quite tragic read. I can assure you Phyllis put a great amount of research into this story of families being separated and taken captive by different groups and it is quite imaginable that many survivors had relatives on both sides of this conflict.

Sarah Wakefield and her children lead me to think about the basics of humanity and the responsibility that was likely felt during this critical time in American history. It also reminded me of the responsibility we have to learn from history and make improvements. ( )

Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai is the story of Sarah Wakefield, who with her two young children were taken prisoner in the August, 1862 uprising by the Sioux. Sarah and her family lived on the Dakota Sioux reservation in Minnesota as her husband was the reservation doctor. She was sympathetic toward the Indians plight as she could see that the white reservation managers, including her husband, were not their for the benefit of the natives but rather were looking to line their own pockets. Treaty promises were not being kept, supplies and food was being withheld and conditions were getting worse every day.

Sarah was locked into an abusive relationship with a man who cared nothing about his family or his Indian patients. When the warrior Caske takes her prisoner, he also happens to change her life for the better. He protects her and keeps her alive and feelings grow between them. Thinking that her doctor husband is dead she agrees to marry Caske. However, she soon learns that her first husband is still alive. When revolt is suppressed, Caske is one of the warriors arrested and put on trial. Sarah testifies in his favour but for the most part her defence falls upon deaf ears.

This book was based on the real life of Sarah Wakefield and the author used Sarah’s own book about her experiences as part of her research. This uprising lasted about six weeks and at least 650 Americans were killed. The reprisals upon the Indians were swift and severe. Beneath the Stars was an interesting read and clearly shows that the treatment of the reservation Indians was cruel and reprehensible. ( )

Are you a lover of Historical Fiction and/or American history? If so, you must read Beneath the Same Stars. I have rarely read a book that portrayed the plight of the Native American so accurately. Much of the American history that I was taught was heavy on the American Revolution, Civil War and the two World Wars. The conflict with Native Americans got just a light gloss over. It is a tragedy because it has allowed us to continue to overlook their issues and concerns.
The main character, Sarah Wakefield, is the wife of an army physician stationed in Redmond which is part of the upper reservation of the Sioux. She has been assured that it is safe and most of the Sioux are farmers and mission Indians. Yet the tensions have been mounting with the Sioux. The Sioux have been promised, by the Great Father in Washington, a yearly payment in gold and food as compensation for the loss of their hunting grounds. Despite these promises every year the Sioux are cheated out of both food and money.
The tensions come to a head in August 1862 when yet again the promised amount of food is not sent to the Sioux. Faced with a winter of starvation, the Sioux kidnap Sarah and her two children along with other white families as hostages in an attempt to force payment of what has been promised. Fortunately for Sarah a Sioux warrior Caske takes her in as his wife. This gives her and her children some measure of protection from the other Sioux who might do her harm. Of course, when the uprising escalates into an all-out war, Sarah is stuck in the middle.
Though this book is a work of fiction, the underlying facts are historically accurate. The author has taken the real people that were involved in the conflict and given them a voice. She has accurately portrayed the prejudices of the time and the consequences of the actions on both sides of the conflict.
In addition, the author has done an outstanding job of weaving the fact and the fiction together to create a compelling piece of literature. She invites you to step into the world of Sarah Wakefield if only for a brief period. This is a must read for lovers of history of all kinds not just Native American history.
I received a free copy for the author in exchange for my honest review. ( )